Left in the Shadows
by ParisIsBurning
Summary: My older sister Eva had it all. She was stronger, tougher, fiercer, and more respected than I could ever hope to be. All I wanted was for somebody to notice me, too. Oneshot.


**A/N: This was just a silly idea that hit me yesterday. I didn't plan on writing it, but I couldn't resist. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**xxxxxxx**

I can't remember a time that I wasn't overlooked by my older sister Eva.

Eva was always the greatest. She could bench press almost two hundred pounds and do sixty pull ups without even breaking a sweat. She could outrun every single guy on the track team. She was tough and independent and outspoken and could always get things her way without even trying. My parents, who were professional bodybuilders, were so proud of her. She was the daughter of their dreams.

And then there was me. Sure, I was pretty athletic, I'd say. I had a tough nature, too. But I was never as good as Eva. I could only bench press a hundred and ninety-seven pounds. I could only run five kilometers before running out of breath. I wasn't even as pretty as her, which wasn't saying much considering that everybody at school thought she was really ugly. But at least nobody mistook her for a guy.

Oh, and school. School was even worse. I was only two years younger than her, so being at the same school was almost always unavoidable. People really feared her, and as a result, they feared me too. It was really hard to make friends when people were constantly running away from me, scared all the time. I honestly meant well. I just wanted somebody to laugh over PB&Js with at the lunch table and maybe lift weights with. But stupid Eva ruined that for me.

The only way I could keep myself going was to act tough. I didn't need friends, or anybody. I was fine on my own. I was fierce, and tough, and sometimes maybe a bit too cocky.

So, when Eva went off to compete on Total Drama Island, and came back at a measly second place, I got excited. Maybe that could be my chance, my one chance at doing something Eva couldn't. I would win a season of Total Drama.

The producers picked me right off the bat. I don't know if it was my, uh, _pushy _audition video or the fact that I was Eva's little sister, but they picked me. I was so excited. This was my chance!

But lo and behold, as hard as I tried, I still only managed to make fifth place. Go figure.

The amount of teasing I got from my family the night I returned was unbearable.

xxxxxx

"Well would you look at that. You thought you could do better than me, but you _still _lost!" Eva jabbed as she stuffed a forkful of steak into her mouth. "Nice try, pipsqueak."

"Eva, now, be nice to your little sister. She just got back and must be really exhausted," Mom replied, rubbing my arm and smiling.

Dad rolled his eyes and stabbed his meat with his fork, nearly breaking the plate. "You know, that was incredibly selfish of you, Jo. Trying to outdo your sister on national TV. What kind of sick perversion is that? The only reason we even let you go and compete is because we needed the money for an upgrade to the at-home gym. But since you didn't win…shame on you!"

"Yeah!" Eva chimed in. "I could really use a treadmill that can go at a faster speed."

Mom smiled. "That's a really good idea, Eva!"

I couldn't _believe _them. They wanted to use my prize money for their own good? I wanted to save the money to go to University and become a physical therapist. It was supposed to be my money, not theirs. The nerve of them!

"I still made it farther than you, Eva!" I shot back. I immediately regretted it as Eva, Mom, and Dad shot me the coldest looks I had ever seen before in my life.

"Jo! Apologize to your sister this instant!" Mom shouted.

Tears welled up into my eyes. I really hated them sometimes.

"I'm…I'm sorry Eva. That was really uncalled for…I uh, shouldn't have even competed in Total Drama in the first place…I…I'm…sorry."

Eva shot me a smug look.

"Okay, let's change the subject. I think we've all had enough of this Total Drama business!" Dad exclaimed.

I stayed silent for the rest of dinner. Eva went off about how she managed to do more push-ups than Billy Samson, who could do the most push-ups out of the whole football team.

"He started crying like a little baby!" Eva exclaimed. Dad high-fived her.

Mom went on about how she had gained three ounces, hoping it was arm muscles because they needed more work than her leg muscles. Dad talked about a co-worker whom he got into a _minor _fight with (yeah right). Before long, my mind had drowned their talking out to a dull blur.

After dinner, I ran straight to my room, hoping I could avoid any more conflict for the rest of the night. However, Eva stopped me as I got to my door.

"That was pretty gutsy of you to stand up to me like that. What makes you think you can just talk to me that way?" Eva asked, tightening her fists.

"Leave me alone, Eva!" I shouted as I opened my door. Eva stuck her arm out, preventing me from walking inside.

"I'll have you know, Jo, that you still lost nonetheless. You still managed to get yourself voted out. Does it really matter who got what place when you lost in the end? You're no better than me. You'll never be better than me. Admit it."

I shoved her arm out of the way and slammed the door behind me, tears forming in my eyes.

"That's what I thought, pipsqueak!" Eva shouted before slamming her own bedroom door.

I hopped face-first onto my bed, groaning into my pillow, letting a few tears fall from my eyes. There was no use. I was destined to always live under Eva's shadow.

My phone buzzed from my desk. Did somebody call me? Nobody ever called me except for my mom and dad, and sometimes Eva if she felt like belittling me while I was away from home.

I picked up my phone and saw a voicemail from an unknown number.

"Must've been a wrong number," I muttered to myself. "I wonder what sort of stupid voicemail they left for somebody else."

I clicked on the icon and held the phone to my ear.

"Er, um…hello, Jo." The voice started coughing. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite figure out who it was.

"This is Brick. I, uh, asked the producers if I could obtain your cellular phone number after the show. You see, I really admired your competition. I was very honored to lose to you, Jo."

I couldn't help but blush a little bit. No matter how tough and mean I had tried to act, I'd always had a bit of a soft spot for Brick. I guess the feeling was returned, since he had gone out of his way to call me.

His voice grew quieter. "I happened to notice that your number is the same area code as mine, which leads me to think we live relatively close to each other. I was wondering if I could, uh, obtain permission to, uh, take you to dinner sometime. You were a great competitor and I would…I would really love to get to know you more, if you would allow me. Perhaps a great friendship, or maybe more than friendship, could occur. Anyways, uh. Call me back if you would be interested."

Through my tears, I managed a soft smile.

Maybe Eva was stronger than me. Maybe Eva was tougher than me. Maybe she could outrun most of the football team and scare the pants off of most of the school. Maybe my parents liked her more than they liked me. But, for the first time in my life, I had something that she didn't: the affection and admiration of a guy. Not just any guy, but Brick. Brick really liked me, and that meant more to me than anything Eva could throw at me.

I stared at my phone for a few seconds, before picking the phone up and clicking the "return call" button with a confidence I had never felt before.


End file.
